Still, They Were Brothers
by RhiannonNymph
Summary: They were out on a hunt when it happened. When Dean realized he’d let everything get to far out of hand. When he realized he’d really, and truly failed his brother.


**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything, you know, except the scene and the writing. The people and cool toys all belong to Kripke and his buddies.

**SPOILERS: **None, I don't really think.

**a/n: **Uh...one bad word? Maybe two, but nothing worse that what we've already heard on the show. Enjoy.

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**STILL, THEY WERE BROTHERS**

They were out on a hunt when it happened. When Dean realized he'd let everything get to far out of hand. When he realized he'd really, and truly failed his brother. It took him too long to come to terms with, if he'd been able to get his head around it sooner…

He didn't say anything to Sam. He tried not to think about it to much.

Dean hoped it had just been the light; moonlight could play tricks with the shadows, and Dean couldn't pin everything on one quick glimpse of _maybe_.

God, he wanted it to be the light.

But a part of him, a heartbreakingly large part of him, was pretty certain that it wasn't.

Sammy - man, did he miss Sammy - was gone. And the man called Sam, the distant, liar of a man that had been riding in Sammy's seat, was not wholly welcome. Sam did things Sammy never would. Sam said viscous, hurtful things, and never apologized the way Dean's little brother used to. Sam was… something else. Dean wasn't sure what. Cas had tried to warn him once, but he hadn't wanted to hear it.

Sam, evil? Those words didn't fit together in Dean's world. They cancelled each other out. Where Sam was, evil wasn't. Or had that been where Sammy was…?

He had to be sure. He needed concrete proof, because he couldn't act without it. He wouldn't.

Dean was sitting in the only crummy chair in their crummy motel room, twisting that bitch Ruby's knife into their crummy table when Sam came out of the bathroom.

"Dean, what are you doing?"

Dean looks up at his brother, head cocked to the side, and he can see it. Fear dancing in his brother's eyes. A hint of madness, a flash of black.

"I tried, man." Is all Dean could say. Sam may not be the same, but he was still Dean's brother. Dean just wanted to file all the things Sam had done under the heading 'People Change' and shove somewhere to the far, _far_ reaches of his mind.

But he couldn't. There was too much at risk. And it was all his fault.

If only he'd been able to accept it sooner, if he'd paid closer attention… if he'd listened to Cas. If he'd believed.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Dean." Sam said as he took a step back, moving towards his bed. "Dude, you're kinda freaking me out."

"_I'm_ freaking _you_ out?" Dean asked with raised eyebrows. "You don't even…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "Come here."

"Why?"

Dean blinked slowly, looking Sam dead in the face. "I have to know."

Sam was starting to become visibly distressed. His lips were drawing together, his jaw flexing, and he was leaning away from Dean now. "Know what?"

Dean stands, deadly calm. Never, ever in his life, had he thought he would have to approach his brother, his own blood, the way he was now. Like Sam was something Dean needed to watch out for. Like Sam was a danger… something that might need to be stopped.

Dean can feel the weight of Ruby's knife in his hand. Bone against his palm, the blade pointing out behind him. He thought it would have felt heavier, what with the gravity of the situation.

He squared his shoulders, and said, "Sam." He tried to make it as pleading as he could. He was freaking out too, maybe more. Because this could change everything.

"Dude… my powers… they're not a problem, Dean. I'm not... I'm not evil."

Dean wasn't sure what happened to set it all off. If Sam tried to sprint past him, or if he made a threatening step towards his frightened little brother first. But before he really knows what's going on, he and Sam are wrapped up in each others arms, pushing and shoving each other. Sam was struggling to break free and Dean was trying not to inadvertently stab him.

Because maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe he could still get through to Sam.

Sam's elbow connected with Dean's jaw, and it sent the eldest Winchester stumbling back a step or two. Dean came back with a swift right hook across Sam's face. He wasn't trying to break the kid's nose, but he had to make it hurt. He wanted to use the pain against Sam.

And when Sam folds in on himself, bringing his hands to his face, Dean moves in behind him, wrapping an arm up, under Sam's armpit and back behind his little brothers neck. He twists his little brother around, and shoves him bodily back towards the table. Dean shoves Sam's upper body against the stained wood and uses all his weight to keep him there.

"Dean…"

He leans down a little harder. He doesn't want to hear his name in that tone of voice. From something that may not even be his baby brother.

"You don't think it's a problem?" Dean asked. He forced one of Sam's hands out, fingers splayed across the table top. Sam bucked under him and Dean pushed his forearm more forcefully into the back of his neck.

"Dea-aaagh!"

Dean drew Ruby's knife across the back of Sam's hand, hard.

And then Dean shoved himself back and away when the knife didn't _only_ leave a trail of blood. His eyes were wide and sad as orange light flickered around the wound Dean had just given his brother.

He could feel the heat rising in his eyes; see the tears starting to blur the edges of his vision. He wanted to start reciting the Latin that he knew, wanted to believe it was just another demon trying to steal his brother's skin. But it wasn't. No demon could get back inside Sam; they'd made sure of it.

It was Sam. It was all Sam in there.

His little brother, his little baby brother that he'd looked out for all his life - was… was…

Dean dropped onto a bed, his arms heavy at his sides. Sam was still bent over the table, head directed at his hand, like he hadn't known. Even Dean had felt the difference.

And now what? How did you come back from _that_? Was it even possible?

_If you can't save him… you'll have to kill him._

What would his Dad say now? Was it already to late to save Sam?

_There's a war coming…_

Even Gordon had known. The psycho had been right, and that irked Dean.

But did he _have_ to kill his brother? Could he?

They were brothers. Dean had killed for Sam, had _died_ for Sam. If he had to take Sam out… it would all be for nothing.

_God, please… no…_

They were brothers…

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No idea where it came from. Left field? Is that a valid reason?

Meh.

A chocolate and/or candy coated cast member of your choice, all you gotta do is review!! =) Ah, bribery.

Lol. Thanks for reading! And also, I swear, the next chapter of "The Replacement" is coming. Cas is just tripping me up, man…


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